| June
2006 |
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Parties, Festivals Await Cyclists Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Bike to Work Week Master Biking in Traffic, Biking with Small Children Bicycles, Bakeries and Beyond – Get the Most Out of Your Membership Discount Benefits |
Bike to Worship A peaceful way to help repair the world Biking: it’s good for the body, but is it good for the soul?
Judging by my bicycle trips to synagogue on Shabbat, I would say
it is. The idea (and the action) is a great one in many ways. First
of all, there is no better way to welcome the Sabbath then by doing
so in such a peaceful, quiet way – and in a way that connects
me to my surroundings and my neighbors. Leaving the car at home for a bicycle is also a very Jewish thing to do, keeping with the tradition of Tikkun Olam - the idea we should work to repair the world. Every time I the make the choice to ride my bike, I help make the air cleaner, and I help make the streets friendlier and safer. Most importantly, I am teaching my children that there are clean, energy-efficient ways to get around. Should biking to synagogue be considered part of the religious experience? I don’t know for sure. But I do know it’s a heck of a lot of fun! Pamela Brookstein is the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation West Suburban coordinator A ride to the altar, and a lesson to take home I rode my bicycle through the door of my church, turned left around the back row of pews and continued up the aisle. The gasps grew louder as I turned in front of the congregation, stopping just short of where my minister stood before the altar. No, I wasn’t terrorizing my church on two wheels. My minister was using my devotion to bicycling to make the point that the human body is a gift from God and that we are called to take care of it. Church and bicycling do go together in a number of ways. I have routinely ridden my bicycle to church for many years. In both California and here in Chicago, bike racks are located closer to the door than any car can park. When my wife and I walk into our church with our helmets in hand, we make a statement that we care about the world that God has give us. We won’t profess our devotion to doing God’s will while in church and then forget about taking care of the earth and our bodies, gifts given to us from God, once we go home. Wearing a suit in most churches these days in more unusual than what you might wear while riding your bicycle. Even if you do dress up, we all know from our Bike to Work practice how to ride a bicycle with our Sunday best on. Many people also go to church close to their home, making the trip a great candidate for a bicycle ride. Church and bicycling – they are both good for the soul and go hand-in-hand to help make the world a better place for all. Randy Warren is the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation program director
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